HEADLINES

Elgton Jenkins

Torn ACL For Packers’ Elgton Jenkins?

November 21st, 2021 at 3:29pm CST by Zachary Links

Packers offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins is believed to have suffered an ACL tear (Twitter link via NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport). The team won’t know for sure until he undergoes additional testing, but the early indication is that this’ll be a season-ending injury. 

Jenkins, 26 in December, suffered the injury in the third quarter while getting ready to stuff Harrison Smith‘s blitz attempt. There didn’t seem to be contact on the play, but Smith was left writhing in pain and clutching his left knee. After that, Smith had to be carted off and replaced by backup Yosh Nijman at left tackle. The Packers went on to lose 34-31 to the Vikings, dropping them to 8-3 on the year.

Jenkins, a Pro Bowl left guard, has been filling in at left tackle for All-Pro David Bakhtiari. If Jenkins is done for the year, they’ll be left even thinner up front. Meanwhile, there’s no word on when Bakhtiari will bounce back from his own ACL recovery.

“I’m not going to get into it, guys,” head coach Matt LaFleur said last week when asked about Bakhtiari (via The State Journal). “You can ask a million different ways. I’m just going to tell you the same thing over and over. It’s day to day. It’s part of the process. He’s coming off a major injury. He’s doing everything in his power to get back as quickly as possible, and that’s just where we are right now.”

The Packers should know more about Jenkins’ condition by tomorrow morning. But, barring any unexpected good news, they’ll have to place the 6’5″, 311-pound lineman on season-ending IR.

Injury Notes: Steelers, JPP, Jets, Mailata

September 24th, 2021 at 5:54pm CST by Sam Robinson

After suffering a pectoral injury in Week 2, Ben Roethlisberger is not in jeopardy of missing Week 3. The Steelers will have their 18th-year quarterback against the Bengals. Big Ben returned to full practice Friday. He will not have his top receiver available, however. Although Diontae Johnson‘s late-game injury was not believed to be serious, Mike Tomlin pushed back on the prospect the third-year wideout would quickly surmount his knee problem. The Steelers have declared their leading receiver out for Sunday. The third-year pass catcher has run into myriad injury issues as a pro, missing games or parts of games with several maladies last year. The Steelers have contract-year wideout James Washington set to step in as a full-timer.

Here is the latest from the injury front going into the season’s third Sunday:

  • In addition to being unlikely to have Antonio Brown available, the Buccaneers will be down Jason Pierre-Paul against the Rams. The 11th-year pass rusher will miss Week 3 with hand and shoulder injuries; he did not practice this week. Tampa Bay will be set to use first-round pick Joe Tryon-Shoyinka more extensively in L.A.
  • Andre Dillard looks likely to return to the Eagles‘ starting lineup for the first time since November 2019. Recently extended left tackle Jordan Mailata is likely to miss Monday night’s game against the Cowboys, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. A knee injury is expected to keep the ex-rugby player out of Philly’s lineup, though Garafolo notes the team does not view the setback as serious. Mailata suffered the injury in practice this week, E.J. Smith of the Philadelphia Inquirer adds. Dillard missed extensive camp time due to a knee injury and has not played an offensive snap since 2019.
  • The Jets will have Zach Wilson in uniform against the Broncos, but the rookie quarterback is playing through a groin injury. The No. 2 overall pick sustained the injury during the Jets’ Week 1 loss to the Panthers, Jeff Howe of The Athletic notes (subscription required). Wilson practiced fully this week, but Howe adds the BYU product went through an MRI recently. Although Wilson might not be in danger of missing time, this is certainly an issue to monitor.
  • The Packers are likely to be severely shorthanded on their O-line in San Francisco. Elgton Jenkins, who has filled in for PUP list-stationed David Bakhtiari at left tackle, is doubtful to face the 49ers because of an ankle issue. Green Bay will likely be forced to use its third left tackle option against the 49ers, who feature Nick Bosa as their primary blindside rusher. The Packers signed Dennis Kelly this offseason, giving them a potential option at right tackle in the event they slide right-side starter Billy Turner to left tackle.
  • Between their practice squad and active roster, the 49ers have seven running backs. That total balloons to nine if Raheem Mostert (IR) and Jeff Wilson (PUP) are included, and San Francisco’s backfield will be missing more pieces Sunday. Due to injuries sustained in Week 2, Elijah Mitchell and JaMycal Hasty are respectively doubtful and out for Sunday night’s game. On the bright side, third-round rookie Trey Sermon has cleared concussion protocol. Despite beginning the season as a healthy scratch, Sermon should be expected to start, Matt Barrows of The Athletic tweets. The 49ers have Trenton Cannon and recent addition Jacques Patrick, an XFL alum the 49ers added off the Bengals’ practice squad, on their active roster and Kerryon Johnson and Josh Hokit on their practice squad.

North Notes: Hunt, Steelers, Lions, Packers

August 30th, 2019 at 8:41pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

It turns out Kareem Hunt‘s suspension won’t be as significant as it originally seemed. The Browns’ running back is suspended for the first eight games of the season, but he would’ve missed the first handful of those games anyway. Hunt underwent sports hernia surgery on Thursday, according to Mary Kay Cabot of Cleveland.com. The injury will likely sideline Hunt for the next 4-6 weeks, according to a tweet from Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.

The Browns announced in a tweet of their own that a “full recovery is anticipated prior to his return to action in Week 10 of the regular season.” Hunt will be eligible to return from his suspension on November 10th against the Bills. Until then Cleveland’s backfield will still be in good hands, as they have Nick Chubb holding down the fort. Once Hunt returns, the Browns will have a potentially scary one-two punch. Hunt was one of the best running backs in the league before Kansas City cut him last year, scoring 14 touchdowns in just 11 games.

Here’s more from the league’s North divisions:

  • Ben Roethlisberger has a new backup. Second-year player Mason Rudolph has won the competition to be the Steelers’ backup in 2019, sources told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Pittsburgh drafted Rudolph 76th overall last year, and he spent the 2018 season as the third-string passer behind Roethlisberger and Joshua Dobbs. During the preseason Rudolph impressed by completing 65 percent of his passes while throwing four touchdowns and only one interception, and some think he’s a potential heir to Roethlisberger. He hasn’t been cut yet, but it looks like this could be the end of the line for Dobbs, a 2017 fourth-rounder, in Pittsburgh.
  • The Lions gave defensive tackle Damon Harrison an extension last week, and now we have the full details, courtesy of Dave Birkett of the Detroit Free Press. In addition to getting an extra year tacked onto his deal, Harrison also received a $2MM raise for the 2019 season. He also got a $7.5MM signing bonus. His contract now runs through the 2021 season, with an option on the final year that must be exercised by the final day of the 2020 league year.
  • Speaking of Lions contract details, punter Sam Martin had his deal reworked, according to Field Yates of ESPN.com (Twitter link). Martin had a non-guaranteed base salary of $2.4MM for 2019, which was bumped down to a guaranteed $1.7MM. Yates adds that 2020 is now a voidable year in his contract. Martin took a pay-cut for 2019, but he’ll now get the chance to reach free agency sooner and cash in as a result of the 2020 year becoming voidable when it was previously just non-guaranteed salary.
  •  The Packers have settled on their starting left guard. After a training camp battle between veteran Lane Taylor and rookie Elgton Jenkins, the team has opted to go with Taylor, according to Rob Demovsky of ESPN.com. “It’s going to be a competition throughout the season, but right now Lane Taylor is the starter,” head coach Matt LaFleur said. Taylor signed with Green Bay as an UDFA back in 2013 and has been with the team ever since. He’s started at least 14 games each of the past three seasons, although his play has been underwhelming at times. The Packers drafted Jenkins 44th overall out of Mississippi State back in April.

Packers Sign Rookie OL Elgton Jenkins

May 13th, 2019 at 5:25pm CST by Ben Levine

The Packers are almost finished signing their entire draft class. General manager Brian Gutekunst announced today that the team has signed second-round offensive lineman Elgton Jenkins.

The team used their lone second-rounder (44th overall) on the Mississippi State product. The six-foot-four, 310-pound lineman had a standout college career, allowing only a single sack over his final two seasons (762 snaps). Jenkins started 34 games during his time at Mississippi State, including 26 at center.

The lineman has also spent time at both offensive tackle and offensive guard, and his versatility will make him an intriguing prospect in Green Bay. The organization signed veteran Billy Turner earlier this offseason, and the team is also rostering capable starters in David Bakhtiari, Lane Taylor, Corey Linsley, and Bryan Bulaga. In other words, despite his draft position, Jenkins may be starting the season on the bench.

With today’s signing, the Packers have now inked seven of their eight picks to contracts, including first-rounders defensive end Rashan Gary and safety Darnell Savage. Third-round tight end Jace Sternberger is the lone draft pick who remains unsigned.